Location "Tishia", Madari Mountains, Nicosia

A visit at the location of "Tishia"

We had never heard of "Tishia" before although we found it was very near our usual route to Agros village.

That Sunday we had stopped at Leivadia village in Pitsilia area and decided on our way to Agros to look for location of "Tishia" ("Tishia" means walls).

Passing from Pollystypos village we continued straight and found the cross-road to Agros village. On our right was the station of the Electricity Authorities and on the other side of the mountain the location of "Tishia".

We took the road and reached the peak of the mountain where the station was. Then we had to leave our car there and continue on foot. A few momonets later on and we found what we were looking for.

A place were huge stones, like walls, were in place in various spots around. The seemed like they didn't belong there. It was like someone had placed them to hold the mountain from falling down. On the other side you could see the whole view of Nicosia until the occupied area of Morfou.

We spent a lot of time there admiring and exploring this phenomenon even more. Small paths take you around the stones and you can see them close enough. Beneath is a nature trail that is approximately 3.5 km long, if you feel like walking around the mountain.

"Tishia" is one of the most impressive creations of nature we have seen so far in Cyprus, and is a must visit if you are around the area. We will definitely go there again and again!

Moutti tis Horas, Spilia village, Nicosia

"Moutti tis Horas"

It was our last stop before we reached Spilia. A cross road at the mountain above the village called "Moutti tis Horas".

Spilia village took its name by the many caves around the area and many stories and legends circulate around the caves.

"Moutti tis Horas", in free translation, means peak of the town. It is actually the highest spot of the village and no wonder they gave it that name.

The view form that peak is wonderful! You can sit there and even enjoy a beautiful sunset if you happen to be around the right time. From there on you can choose to visit a range of villages or sites around the area. 

I Vrysi tis Shyftis, Xyliatos - Saranti village route, Nicosia

"I Vrysi tis Shyftis"

Going to Saranti village in Pitsilia area is a usual trip for us. A well known and an easy route to follow is from the village of Agia Marina towards Xyliatos and then you reach Saranti village.

On that route you will not miss this old water source called "I Vrysi tis Shyftis". What is not well known though is the source of its name and the story behind it.

As told by my grandfather this source is a very old one dating back more than 100 years. Once upon a time there was a big tree near the water source that was bended (Shyfti), and in times of bad weather conditions the nearby farmers or hunters would go there to protect themselves and their animals from the rain.

In 1978 the source was renovated but for the past appx 15 years no water is running. Α nice place to stop by for a few moments and relax.

Old Road Kourdali-Agios Theodoros Soleas village, Nicosia

Old Forest Road

After visiting the monastery of "Panagia Chrysokourdaliotissas" in Kourdalli village our aim was to reach the main road of Evrichou-Kakopetria village.

Not knowing exactly which route to follow we continued left wise from the monastery and found ourselves passing through the forest with no signs as to where we were going.

The forest was full of pine tress and wild plantation. Some of the flowers we had never seen before in other expeditions. After some time we reached a small bridge and we decided to stop for a while. The bridge had a small inscription showing it was built in 1943. There was another sign on our right indicating that the two rivers of the area were crossing from this bridge. No water though, although it was the beginning of spring time.

The scenery inside the forest kept repeating itself again and again. It was peaceful, almost no cars were passing and you could hear the smallest noise.

About half an hour later we found out that we reached the village of Agios Theodoros Soleas near the main road of Evrichou-Kakopetria as we had in mind!

The Arminou Dam, Pafos,

The Arminou Dam

A challenge is always welcome when it comes in discovering new places. That morning while enjoying the day at Salamiou village the challenge was to go for a round trip to  the forest of Pafos then to the medieval bridge of "Tjelefos" and round the dam of Arminou.

It was one of the best round trips of my life in Cyprus so far. The weather was perfect, we had plenty of time and the scenery became better and better by the minute!

Watching the Arminou dam from all possible angles as we travelled around it, I couldn't stop saying to my self : wow! It was like a card-postal from a lake in Switzerland and yet I was in Cyprus!

We had spend the whole afternoon in the area, and somehow when we returned I was so excited, I wanted more. So did the rest of my friends. This summer we will return for sure!

Almond trees at Lazanias village, Nicosia

Almond trees Valley at Lazanias village

It was a nice Friday of January and we had just finished our visit to Machairas Monastery.

We thought to follow a different route back home than the one we took to visit the monastery. This time we went towards Lazanias village.

Lazanias is a small village, one of the many outside the Nicosia centre, that you wouldn't pay much attention to when passing by.

But it seems it is all about timing sometimes! Lazanias has one of the biggest (if not the biggest) valley of Almond trees, and as we first saw the village coming from the monastery, the sight was simply beautiful.

Lazanias, and the whole area around, were covered with blooming Almond trees. We stopped, admired nature's beauty and headed back home, pleased the choice we made to take that route.  

A miracle at "Panagia Araka", Lagoudera village, Pitsilia area, Nicosia

"A Miracle at "Panagia Araka"

We had just finished our lunch at Saranti village and we decided to visit the monastery of "Panagia Araka" as it is indeed a place worth visiting. A monastery with long tradition and important things to see once you are inside.

The monastery, dedicated to Holy Mother Mary, had more to give us than we expected. As we found out, many miracles have been performed in the past! A well known one is the story of "Kadis" and the area just opposite the monastery called "Mnima tou Kadi" which means the grave place of Kadis (Kadis in Turkish means judge).

The judge with his assistant visited the village a day when the village was celebrating Holy Mother. The priests and the villagers had taken the icon of Holy Mother outside the monastery for praying. Kadis appeared in front of them and asked his assistant to take the icon and deliver it to him. The assistant, although reluctant at first, obeyed in the thread of the gun and took the icon from the hands of the priests and gave it to Kadis.

Kadis then tried to leave with the icon but it was impossible. His horse would not move from its place! Kadis got angry and threw the icon away. The icon, like it was held by an invisible hand, did not fall in the ground but was guided back to the hands of the priests!

Kadis then left with his assistant and headed back to town. As he was leaving the monastery a big black cloud appeared, although it was a sunny summer day, and a hail storm started. The hail was in the size of an egg, and was so strong that killed Kadis. His assistant immediately prayed to Holy Mother to save his life and in return he would donate to the monastery a silver hail in the size of an egg. Moments after the hail storm stopped and he was saved. Keeping his promise the assistant, soon after, delivered  a silver hail in the size of an egg to the monastery to honor Holy Mother.

Since then and for years to come whenever there was a bad weather in the village the silver hail was brought out of the monastery by the priests who prayed for the weather to get better.
At some point the silver hail due to its great value was moved to the Metropolis of Kerynia to be stored. Since then its trails are missing.

Older people still alive in Lagoudera and Saranti village recall that their parents told them that they witnessed the silver hail. Perhaps one day it will return to the monastery of "Panagia Araka" where it belongs!

Hideout in Saranti village, Pitsilia area, Nicosia

A Forgotten Hideout

Visiting Saranti village is always a pleasure. A small village in a high altitude with long tradition and history.

That day Saranti was our midday stop for relaxing and of course we took the chance to see a few of its most noteworthy attractions.

We visited the old house of priest Charalambos Kyriakou, which is now owned by the village authorities awaiting restoration. This house was used as a hideout by the members of E.O.K.A. when travelling in Saranti to spend the night.

This hideout was built by a local, Charalambos Patarias, who belonged in the team of Kyriakos Matisis. His team was one of the 3 controlled by Grigoris Afxentiou himself.

A part of the house on top was modified to create a secret passage that led the E.O.K.A. members in the laundry room underneath. From there, they would hide underground below the basin that was used to wash the clothes. The lady of the house despite her old age would put all her strength to move the heavy basin back in place and pretended to wash clothes.

After the search of the military was completed the fighters were able to come out and continue their journey.

So it was time for us to continue our expedition, leaving this beautiful village behind, moving towards our next  stop.

School of Salamiou village, Pafos

Salamiou School

Salamiou village in Pafos is one of the many in Cyprus that saw its citizens leave the past decades in the search for a better life in town.

It is though a beautiful village with many things to see, and seems that now some of its people are returning back, giving life again to the area.

One of the main attractions of Salamiou is its old school. In the late 50's the school did not have enough classrooms for its more than 150 students! At that time, around 800 people lived in the village.

A few years ago the wife of the ambassador of Norway visited Salamiou and she liked it so much that she decided to help the village. She made it possible to gain funding from the Norwegian government to restore the old school to its current condition and make it operate as a Centre of Environmental Studies!

Since then, more restoration works are in progress around the village but if you happen to pass by, visiting the old school is a must!

Selladi tou Karamanli at Madari peak, Nicosia

"Selladi tou Karamanli" 

As we reached near the peak of Madari mountain towards Spilia village it was time to take the country road.

Of course we had to stop once again to admire the view! There was something different though this time. We found the monument of Haralambos Pettemerides, one of the many heroes Cyprus has given birth to throughout the centuries. A fighter of freedom during the 1955-1959 struggle .
Near the monument there is a sign marking the name of the place called "Selladi tou Karamanli". "Selladi" means peak and as we later learned it was originally called "Selladi ton Spilion", which marked the area as the peak of the village Spilia. 

The hero, Haralambos Pettemerides had "Karamanlis" as his nickname during the struggle, so to honour his sacrifice the place was renamed to "Selladi tou Karananli".

We left the place with a feeling of sadness yet proud as we came across a piece of modern history of the island.

Medieval Bridge in the route Xyliatos-Saranti, Nicosia

A Medieval Bridge 

A medieval bridge is not something uncommon in Cyprus. Many of them though are difficult to find as they have not be restored or have been covered by newer bridges. Some of them are even hidden in places you can not find them easily.

Lucky for us, that day we knew where to find this one. An old bridge from the time the Venetians ruled Cyprus (1489-1571), hidden in good condition under a newer one.

It was the one that connected the villages of Lagoudera and Saranti with Xyliatos towards Nicosia. A very important passage for all the citizens of the area.

The river of Saranti passes under the bridge and ends up in the the sea of Morfou which is now occupied.

Griffon at Madari Mountains, Pitsilia area, Nicosia

A Griffon on our way!!

On an expedition day you never know what you might come across! Surprises  are on the daily menu.

Following the old country road inside the mountains from the monastery of "Stavros Agiasmati" towards the main road of Xyliatos-Saranti village, there was one of our surprises.

While we were driving a big Griffon right in front of us! We immediately stopped and got out of the car to admire the big vulture that had already flew above us.

It was the first time we saw one in that area. They are almost extinct now because of the lack of food. As we have later learned, there were a lot more in the past because the villagers had a place were they left the dead animals, so the vultures could eat them.

The Cyprus Griffon belongs to the old world vultures and its name originates from the ancient Greek word "γρυψ" which was a mythological creature with a lion mouth, an eagle head and wings.

Nature trail at Madari Peak, Saranti-Spilia, Nicosia

"DOKSA SI O THEOS"

As we almost reached Madari peak just outside Saranti village on our way to  Spilia village we found this nature trail called "DOKSA SI O THEOS". In free translation this means "Thank God".

We knew that behind every name given in any place around Cyprus there is a story, so we had to find out.

Needless to say that it is a path very well know and very beautiful to walk (if you are fit that is, since it is 7.4 km long and of a difficulty of 3).

The story as always goes back many years ago. The people who lived in Kyperounta village (just on the other side of Madari) used to own land in a village far away called Agios Georgios (Saint George). They would go to the Agios Georgios to cultivate their land many times throughout the year. For that purpose they had to follow that trail to reach their destination using their donkeys. The journey usually lasted for 2 days!

After a long period in Agios Georgios, and when it was time to go back home, they had to follow the same route. Only this time they had to go upwards to the mountains, and that was twice as difficult. After a long hard journey when they finally reached Madari peak and saw their village once again they would say  "DOKSA SI O THEOS" ("Thank God").

This phrase was used for years by people who passed through that path. So it became well known in all the area around and is being used until today!

View of Mountains, Pitsilia area, Nicosia

A Mountain View

We had just taken the turn on the right on our way to the church of "Stavros Agiasmati".

It was the first time we took that route. We went through Mitsero village and then turned left towards the villages of Alithinou and Livadia .

As we continued our way to the church, that is found almost at the pick of the mountain, we made a brief stop and looked at the view.

It was absolutely fantastic! The green forest was covering the whole scenery and you could easily spot some of the small villages that layed ahead. We stayed there for a few moments and then continued our expedition looking for more adventure....

Kourdali Village, Pitsilia area, Nicosia

Monastery of "Panagia Chrysokourdaliotissas"

For us Kourdali village was just a village on our way to Kakopetria that day. As we just passed Spilia village, Kourdali was next but we had no intention to stop.

As we passed through the village we saw a sign about the Monastery of "Panagia Chrysokourdaliotissas". We looked at each other and said: "why not?"

Lucky enough for us the monastery was just about to open for the afternoon. A nun was already there ready to open the door. We entered the Monastery and after lighting a candle we asked the nun to tell as the story.

The Monastery was build around 1500 by Ioannis and Leontas Kourdali. It is a wooden roof temple, a characteristic of many monasteries around the Troodos mountains area. Inside the temple you will find many well preserved Byzantine wall paintings of Saints.

Then the nun pointed out the importance of  the icon of Jesus Christ's Mother, Mary. On the icon, Holy Mother appears to hold Jesus as a child on the right side! This, as explained by the nun, is a characteristic of the paintings by Apostle Lucas, who has painted approximately 70 icons of Holy Mother in this way. Furthermore the icon has performed many miracles in the past!

Next the nun showed as another icon, this time of Apostle Barnabas, pictured as an Archbishop! This old icon states the importance and verifies the establishment of Cyprus as an autonomous Church! Apostle Barnabas is the first Saint of Cyprus.

Finally the nun pointed out the wooden seats inside the temple. The seats had a wooden craft of a dragon at each side! This was something we had never seen before. She told us that two of those seats are a few hundred years old and the rest were produced later on. The dragons were probably put there by the influence of the Venetians in the Cyprus culture at the time the monastery was constructed! The Venetians ruled Cyprus between 1489-1571.

That completed the tour of the monastery and it was time for us to move on. We thanked the nun for her assistance and wished her a happy Easter. We still had more things to discover...

Nicosia View from Machairas

A Panoramic View!!

It was beautiful day in February and I had just visited Machairas monastery. One of the most well known in the island with long history and tradition. My mind and spirit were relaxed, and my mood just got a lot better (these are the side effects each time I visit the monastery!).

Driving back to the city I took the route towards Farmakas and Gouri villages. On my right I saw Nicosia city spreading beneath the mountains so clear I just had to stop and stare. It was a panoramic view that just made all the problems seem so distant and unimportant at the same time.

Xyliatos Dam, Xyliatos village, Nicosia

Relaxing at Xyliatos Dam 

Visiting the mountains of Pitsilia area is always a pleasure. So many things to see and do around the area. If you choose to begin by visiting the Nicosia side of Pitsilia area, then just head for Xyliatos village.

Just pass Ayia Marina village you will find Xyliatos village. Just outside Xyliatos the forest begins and on the right you will not miss the Xyliatos Dam. One of the biggest and most known in Cyprus.

You just have to stop look at the view! Especially when the water is filling up the dam and everything around is green. You feel that there is something different right away.

If you are there on a summer time don't be surprised to hear music, there is a very nice picnic area just behind the dam where people have parties with friends and relatives!

Archimandrita Village Valley, Pafos

Archimandrita Valley

After visiting the giant windmills in Pafos past Kouklia village, we came across Archimandrita village.

We just had to stop and gaze at the beautiful valleys that spread in our feet!
The sun had just came back after a long winter giving life in all the plantation, and colour in every corner of the valley.

The scenery just repeated its self as we continued our journey looking to taste local wine from the many vineyards in the area....

River floating in Pafos

In the heart of beauty 

Summer vacation goes along with discovering new places. On an expedition to the heart of the beautiful Pafos mountains towards Troodos we stopped at a magical scenery near the "Giofyrin tou Tzielefou".

Moving further inside to the heart of the forest the beauty of the place was captivating! A crystal clear fresh water from the river reflecting the tall trees that were providing shade from the hot sun. Peace and quiet was only interrupted by the song of the birds!

If you get lucky on a day like this you might even see a Mouflon! 

Diarizos River, Pafos

Crossing Diarizos River

On a Sunday trip Pafos we came across Diarizos river. Having a good raining season, it was no surprise to see the river filled with water.

This time though it was a view we came across for the first time as we were crossing a bridge on our way to the Pafos mountains through Mammonia village. A nice spring day of March with lots of sun!

Diarizos river is the fourth largest river in Cyprus 42 km length. It begins from the mountains of Troodos and goes all the way down to Kouklia village in Pafos. Its name comes from its two roots that form the river. 

Salamiou Village - Pafos

Road way to Kyparissos

On a spring trip to Salamiou village in Pafos we had to take a diversion as the main road to the village centre was under construction. Turning left to reach the village we had to pass through this unique tree, a symbol of the village for centuries, as we were later told.

The diversion road we took lead us to Kyparissos square where the village hosts its annual festivities, especially the "Palouze" festival usually held in the first Sunday of October. The "Palouze" festival in Salamiou is one of the most known celebrations of its kind in Cyprus.